FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

This story contains material not appropriate for people under the age of 18. Leave if otherwise.

Not affiliated with Bethesda Softworks.

Ivan stood on top of the glacier, taking a deep breath of the mountain air, the cold in his lungs sending a shiver throughout his body. It had been a few days since he'd first met Dayhunter, most of them had been spent learning about the capabilities of their new bodies, both in and out of bed. Dayhunter was doing better than him, she'd only had to figure out how to change at will, and both of her bodies had remained relatively unchanged in ability. Ivan, however, had a bit more to get used to.

Even in his regular form he had advanced senses, which threatened to overwhelm him constantly. The enhanced strength was another thing he was having trouble with, a thief needed a light touch, not a strong one, to pick locks and pockets, and as he practiced with his thief's tools he'd broken several picks; the same amount of effort that used to be required to gently nudge the tumbler of a lock could now throw a bolder across the room. But it wasn't all bad.

As Ivan exhaled as the wind blew at his leather clothes, the cold didn't bother him any more, even in his regular body. Looking over the snow on top of the ice shelf, he froze as he saw the spot, "Got you..." he leapt twenty feet forward, plowing into the snow bank and pinning the buried Dayhunter to the ground.

"Nice work," She laughed, it'd been her idea for him to practice this way, it was kind off childish but he was getting better, "Now get off a' me."

"You sure you want me to?" he joked and she gave him a look of mock indignation before leaning up and giving him a small kiss.

"It's not what I want it's what they want," she said sadly, looking at the sky. Nocturnal and Hircine had told them that today was the last day that they could spend in the glacier, they'd have to find a place to stay on their own.

He let her up, "I still say that we should go back to Cyrodiil."

"And I still say that we are going to my pack first," Although they'd conquered most of the awkwardness of their relationship in the past few days, they still argued plenty, on this subject especially.

But then, Ivan thought, It wouldn't be a relationship if we didn't argue. She'd continued despite his pause, "I can't just leave without telling them where I'm going! They think I'm just here to find a mate, not to find a mate and then run off with him!"

"Well you can't expect me to just stay here in Solstheim! I'm a thief with nothing to steal; I'll die of boredom!"

"You are such a drama queen! You just have to keep yourself occupied."

"And how do you propose I do that? Hm? There's nothing to see! There's nothing to read! And, I seriously doubt that there's anyone on this entire island that even knows what chess is!"

"You could try hunting."

"Hunting? Are you kidding me?! Senseless killing might be entertaining for you, but..."

"It's not senseless! You eat the thing afterward don't you? And I guarantee that you'll enjoy it. Plus, you'll be doing something productive instead of laying on your arse all day while I get the food."

Ivan sighed, "I wouldn't even know how to do it in the first place."

"Three basics. First, look for signs of travel; tracks, broken branches, droppings, you know. Second, follow scent trails, they'll lead you to the prey quickly and give you fresh information. And third, trust your instincts, your body already knows what to do; your mind will just get in the way."

"So you want me to walk out in the middle of the woods, look for footprints, twigs, and shit, while sniffing around for animals so that I can kill them...while not thinking about it at all?"

"Well...I wouldn't put it in those exact words but...uh...yes."

"That is possibly the most idiotic thing that I've ever heard."

"Well, I understand if you can't..."

"Stop...Stop right there!"

"What?"

"You're playing off of the expected male stereotype that by insinuating that I'm incapable of doing it, you are, in fact, encouraging me to go running off and doing it."

"Really?"

'Yeah, but it's not going to work, because I know what you're trying to do."

"Do you?"

"Yes I do!"

"No you don't, because, while I was insinuating that that you were incapable of doing said action, there was no underlying motive or agenda, I was merely stating the obvious fact that you can't do it."

"You're lying, because I know that you know that I could hunt perfectly well, thereby the only explanation is that you are attempting to goad me into going hunting against my will."

"Not so, as I was stating the fact as a pretext to comforting you over your short comings."

"Also not so, as you are aware that I do not want to go hunting and thereby would not suffer from any form of discomfort from shortcomings in hunting, of which I have none."

"So you could do it."

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"Maybe I will!"

"Then go."

"Go?"

"Yes, go, prove it."

"Oh, no."

"No?"

"Yes!"

"Yes then, go."

"FINE!" Ivan stormed off the glacier and into the forest on the mountainside, leaving Dayhunter smiling sadly behind him, she hoped that Master wouldn't hurt him.

-o-

"Well, at least I got the last word," Ivan said to himself as he shifted to werewolf form and began looking around the forest, "She's lucky that she's sexy, otherwise I'd be gone so fast..." he couldn't deny, however, that he didn't stick around with her just for her body, or even for the promised rewards he'd get, she was smart and funny as well as being beautiful, "*sigh*...why Nocturnal? Why did you curse me with love? Why did you have to make her so goddamn perfect?! Why...okay Ivan get a grip. Just find some weak animal and take it down, then go back to Dayhunter and convince her to come with you to Cyrodiil...easy..." Two hours later he was totally lost, "What am I going to do," he thought, sitting down on a rock, tail drooping and ears back in frustration, whenever he tried to get his bearings the advanced scenes distracted him. He looked at the darkening sky, "I could use some help here!" he said, hoping that Nocturnal would answer. Suddenly he heard a voice.

"Is the poor little Imperial lost?" he whirled around to see an antlered figure, dressed in various animal hides and carrying a wicked looking spear. Behind the deer skull helm, Ivan could tell that he was smirking.

"Who are you?!"

"Who am I? I'm the one you called for help."

"You're not Noctur..."

"Oh, you were looking for the Night-whore. Well I'm afraid that she can't help you here. This is my hunting ground."

Ivan's eyes widened at the realization, "YOU'RE HIRCINE!"

"And you're the emperor of obviousness, I bow to thee, oh great seer of what others notice far before you!" Hircine laughed, a cackling sound that made the fur on Ivan's neck stand on end.

"What do you want?"

"Oh my dear simpleton, it's not what I want. You need help, and I'm here to give it."

"Well, I don't need help from you." Ivan said, turning away, only to jump back to see Hircine standing in front of him.

"Oh, I think that you do need my help Ivan, my forest has certain...subtleties that you're not aware of. This place is where berserkers come for their incitation, when they awaken their animal spirit."

"Animal spirit?"

"All creatures have them, though humans, especially you Imperial types, almost never tap into them; it's rather sad if you ask me. The animal spirit is the creature's link to nature, the fountain of primal joy, speed, power, and wisdom. Once, all creatures listened to that side of them and humans stood among the greatest of hunters...*sigh* but that was long ago." Hircine actually looked depressed for a moment before becoming normal again, "I digress. The forest will slowly awaken the spirit that lies dormant within the creature over the course of a year or so, they cannot leave otherwise."

"ARE YOU SHITING ME?!!!" Ivan yelled, "I'm stuck here for an entire year?!"

"Not necessarily, the forest will keep you here until your spirit is fully awakened, it could take a week or possibly a decade. That is...unless I awaken it myself. The awakening was part of the original enchantment I used to create werewolves, but Nocturnal forcibly removed that part. So I..."

"You made Dayhunter send me here!" Ivan felt anger well up inside him, she tricked me! He thought, but the anger was a cover for the hurt he felt.

"Precisely, but don't hold it against her. She was trying to help you."

"Help Me?! How would this help me?!"

"The mental part of the enchantment is built upon the awakening of the animal spirit; it allows the werewolf to properly receive information from their advanced scenes and coordinate their bodies to avoid...unpleasant circumstances. Remember how you broke so many of your thief's tools? And what about your problems focusing? I told Nocturnal what would happen but at the last minute she refused to allow me to awaken your animal spirit, no doubt because of your warnings about what you'd heard of me."

"Why should I even trust you?" Ivan glared, "How do I know that this isn't just a trick to turn me into some dumb animal."

"I can assure you that I have no use for a 'dumb animal.' I intend to boost you to your full potential, which includes a mental as well as a physical one. As for your first question, I can only say that you have no choice but to trust me...unless you want to spend a year in here." Hircine's smile widened.

Ivan sighed, "Only if you swear to undo it later."

"No problem..."

"A binding oath! The unbreakable kind."

Hircine's eyes glinted with a predatory glee, "If that's what you want, of course." He said, extending his hand.

"We have a deal then?"

"What do you think?"

Ivan reluctantly shook Hircine's hand as energy passed over their fingers, the bargain was sealed.

"Now," Hircine said, "Just relax." He placed his hand on Ivan's forehead, instilling a gasp. Ivan's eyes rolled back in his head, his breathing became quick, his tail twitched as his ears flew back in apprehension and his limbs began to convulse. Images flooded his mind, the moon, the hunt, prey, predator, forest, mountain, ocean, sky, power speed, too much...TOO MUCH! Have to hold on, Have to resist; no reason to but must! Must resist! Cant resist! TOO MUCH...Too Much...too much. He whimpered within his trance, but Hircine began to talk to him, "Shh, young hunter, it's almost over, relax...relax..." he stopped shaking, his body began to adapt as Hircine slowly sat him down on a nearby rock, "Just let go, young hunter, let the current carry you." Don't want to go with it, not mine, not me, "It is you, it has always been there, accept it young hunter, or it may destroy you," His breathing slowed, but his mind still fought, No! No! Is violence, is killing, is murder! Will not murder, will not be like them...

"What?" This was interesting, Hircine knew he'd hit something repressed, something that kept Ivan's spirit from awakening, "Be like who young hunter? What is it you fear?" Like guards! Will not be like guards... Hircine saw what Ivan had seen, the Inquisition chambers as he snuck through the Arcane University. Guards laughing as they kicked down and beat the beggars on the streets of the Imperial City. His brother, Hieronymous, being twisted into the monster that Ivan saw all guards as. And the executions, beheadings, and hangings that Ivan had watched in his years in the Thieves Guild. "Ahhhhhh..." Hircine whispered, this was why the Imperial had refused to hunt, why he was disgusted by the thought of killing anything, why he resisted the awakening. Tears ran down from Ivan's now closed eyes. Will not be murderer...Will not be hunter...Will not...will not... "Be calm my child," Hircine crooned, using the temporary regression Ivan was experiencing to sink his claws into his mind, he'd make a wonderfully efficient killer...but, then again, Hircine knew that he was risking his alliance with Nocturnal as it was. "Oh well," he whispered, "That will be for another time... you shall not be a man-killer young hunter, you shall not be a murderer, you shall not be like them...I promise..." the last word was hissed with Hircine's distaste on the matter, but it was enough for Ivan to submit.

The tears stopped, the whimpers were silenced, Ivan's mind no longer fought as his animal spirit was awakened. He felt warm all over, and let out a sigh as a peaceful smile spread across his muzzle, his tail swaying at ease, "Now young hunter, go within the forest, take your first kill, bring it to your mate, feast with her, and rest...you've earned it." Hircine broke his contact with Ivan and drifted off into the trees.

-o-

The werewolf's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet. He felt alive, more alive that he'd ever been (if such a thing was possible). He wanted to run, to jump, to celebrate. For once he felt no fear, no injustice, no sorrow. A scent suddenly caught his attention, "Prey..." he whispered before rushing off into the forest, relishing in the thrill. He didn't think on what had happened, he didn't think on Dayhunter, he didn't think on Nocturnal or Hircine or Hieronymous. These thoughts would come back soon, but, for now, he was only a hunter, chasing his prey...free.